The Alternate Destiny: An AmourShipping Story
by MegazardXY
Summary: It's clear that Ash and Serena were meant to be. But think about how they met...what if Team Rocket had given up on stealing Pikachu, and decided to not travel to Kalos? Ash and Serena would have never met...at least, not in the same way. How would it have turned out? Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon
1. A Refreshing Start

Hey everyone, for those of you who have read some of my stories and/or followed me...I'm back! I was suddenly inspired to write this story, which I've been meaning to write for a long time. Let me know what you think of it in the reviews, it really helps to motivate me to write. Hope you enjoy, and thanks in advance for reading! :)

Prologue

This story is about the relationship between Ash and Serena, from the day they were six years old until the end of Team Flare's plan of mass destruction. But there's a twist. Before I get into that, let's talk about Team Rocket for a minute.

Ah, Jessie, James, and Meowth...there's so much to say about the infamous trio of troublemakers commonly known and referred to as Team Rocket. Though their motto states otherwise, Team Rocket's primary goal in life is to obtain (via theft) Ash Ketchum's exceptional Pikachu for their demanding and intimidating boss, Giovanni. Loyal to their leader and persistent in their cause, Team Rocket followed Ash and his various companions across the globe, venturing close behind Ash and sometimes even a few steps ahead of him, all for the sole purpose of stealing Pikachu. Alas, each attempt amounted to nothing whatsoever, yet the trio never seemed to be too discouraged, and certainly never considered conceding defeat. But, you already know this.

What if, at some point, Team Rocket had given up on their mission? What if they had finally accepted the fact that Ash and his companions would always come out on top, and that the good in this world would always trump Team Rocket's evil plans? What if they had finally admitted to Ash and themselves that they would never, ever succeed in capturing Pikachu?

Perhaps, after their countless failures in Unova, that Jessie, James, and Meowth finally quit and never traveled to the Kalos region. That would've been great news for Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena, right? Well, it depends on how you look at it, but I think the general consensus is that no, it would have been very unfortunate. Why? Because Ash and Serena would have never met...at least, not in the same way. Without Team Rocket, there would not have been an angry Garchomp rampaging through Lumiose City. Without the angry Garchomp, there would have been no live news broadcast featuring a young boy leaping off of Prism Tower to save his Pikachu. And without the news broadcast...how would Serena have known that Ash was in Kalos?

This is how it would've all happened…

Chapter One

~ A Refreshing Start ~

* * *

It's a warm, sunny afternoon in the beautiful Kalos region. The Lumiose City Airport is particularly busy around this time of year, as the Unova League and the Pokemon World Tournament have both come to a close for this year. Recent studies on a mysterious new variant of evolution have also attracted thousands of trainers of different strength and experience levels to the region of Kalos, where dreams and adventures begin.

A young trainer and his partner Pokemon Pikachu look out the window of their plane, which is just minutes from landing in the bright and bustling Lumiose City. Flocks of Fletchling scatter through the skies, filling the air with their cheerful chattering. On occasion, if one is lucky enough, a Talonflame can be seen soaring overhead at an incredible, almost unmatched speed.

"You ready, Pikachu?" Ash Ketchum asked his companion.

"Pika, pika pi!" replied Pikachu, clearly just as excited as his trainer. The two make an inseparable pair, and their powerful bond has proven to be quite exceptional countless times on the battlefield. Now, the two of them are beginning their next adventure.

After what felt like hours for Ash, the wheels of the plane finally touched the ground. Ash and Pikachu were practically running off the plane as the doors opened to the fresh open air.

"Heyyyyy Kalos Region! Ash from Pallet Town is finally here!" the enthusiastic trainer shouted to no one in particular.

"Pikachaaaa!" Pikachu chimed in.

Alexa smiled. "What's with all the yelling?" she asked, her Helioptile perched on her shoulder as usual.

Ash turned to her with a determined smile on his face. "Just saying hiya to the Kalos region. And as soon as I walk down these steps, we'll finally be here!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly, a pair of Spritzee flew overhead and caught Ash's attention. Well, part of it...the other part was attempting to walk down the stairs, and Ash ended up stumbling and rolling down to the bottom. The loud "thud" of his landing attracted a bit of a crowd, but this fall was nothing for Ash, who simply got up with the same amount of enthusiasm as before.

As fast as his legs could carry him, Ash started sprinting towards the city when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a mysterious Pokemon.

It was tall, slender, and fast. It stood in the midst of the sunlight, appearing like a shadow. Ash stared in awe. He had seen plenty of Pokemon before, and while this Pokemon looked somewhat similar to ones he had seen, he figured that this Pokemon was different somehow. Then, as fast as it had appeared, the Pokemon dashed away from sight.

He met up with Alexa at the nearest Pokemon Center to tell her about what he saw. She shared in his excitement, but he was disappointed to learn that her sister's gym was not in Lumiose City, but in Santalune. He immediately perked up, however, when she told him of the Electric-type gym in Lumiose, located in the heart of the city known as Prism Tower. Shortly afterward, he was off again.

"Boy oh boy, I'm so psyched!" he said as he walked through the doors of Prism Tower. A computer screen over a doorway automatically switched on, as if in response to Ash's words. An electronic voice spoke: "Welcome to the Lumiose Gym."

"My name's Ash, and I've come all the way from the Kanto region! I want a gym battle, please," Ash said, his heart pounding with excitement.

"How many gym badges do you have?" inquired the voice.

"Badges? Well, this is my first gym battle here, so I haven't won any yet," Ash replied.

Shocked, the voice replied, "You have none?! Not a single gym badge?! In order to challenge the Lumiose Gym, you must have accumulated at least four gym badges."

Ash look puzzled, but before he could really say anything, he felt his entire body being zapped with electricity. "Ahhhhhhhh!" he shouted, and before he knew it he and Pikachu were dropped into a trap door underneath them that threw them out of the tower...about four stories high from the ground.

A local boy and his younger sister turned to see Ash and Pikachu falling toward the ground, and they knew they had to do something. "I'll catch the boy!" Clemont, the boy, shouted. His sister, Bonnie, shouted, "I'll get Pikachu!"

Luckily, Clemont's Clemontic Gear was able to provide a large, inflatable surface to cushion Ash's fall. Bonnie caught Pikachu soon thereafter.

Ash thanked them for saving him, and remarked that the Lumiose Gym was weird, and explained that it was the first gym he'd been to. The three of them introduced themselves, with Bonnie marveling at Pikachu the entire time.

"Bonnie's a little bit too young to have any Pokemon yet, so she's really impressed when she meets someone who does," Clemont explained. Ash asked about Clemont's Pokemon, which then led to a battle.

"All right, Bunnelby, come on out and let's have a battle!" Clemont exclaimed as he released his Pokemon from its capsule. A gray-and-brown bunny with tall ears appeared with a cheerful attitude.

"Lots of luck to both teams!" Bonnie shouted excitedly, marking the start of the battle as the referee.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded. Pikachu leaped into the air and released its famous Thunderbolt attack straight towards Bunnelby.

Clemont remained calm. "Now, Bunnelby, use your ears to stir up the sand!"

Bunnelby did as commanded, and the quick upwelling of sand completely negated Pikachu's Thunderbolt.

The battle continued fiercely, both trainers and Pokemon gaining more respect for the other as they learned more about each other with each move, with each command. At one point, Bunnelby caught Pikachu's tail in its ears, but Pikachu responded with a powerful Electro Ball.

"Pikachu! Finish it with a Quick Attack!" Ash commanded, determined to take advantage of Pikachu's superior speed.

Bunnelby tried to avoid it, but Pikachu was too fast. It slammed straight into Bunnelby, sending it flying backwards and slamming onto the ground, knocked out.

Bonnie waited a few seconds before announcing, "Bunnelby is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!"

"Awesome! Great job, Pikachu!" Ash cheered, and the two partners celebrated their first victory in Kalos.

Clemont recalled Bunnelby back into its Pokeball. "You did well, Bunnelby. Take a good rest," he said. Then he nodded towards Ash. "That was a good battle...you and Pikachu are a really strong combination!"

As the two trainers talked about their battle, a small, blue Pokemon observed them from a tree branch, hidden from view. It had seen the whole battle, and was duly impressed. It followed Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie, who all headed to the Pokemon Center to heal their tired Pokemon.


	2. New Bonds

Chapter Two

~ New Bonds ~

* * *

A young girl in dirty pink clothes grumpily walked through the front door of her house. "I'm done for today, mom," she said. Her name was Serena, and she had lived in Vaniville town ever since she had moved from the Kanto region.

Her mother, Grace, sighed and said, "Serena, you need to learn to persevere a little bit more. You can't just give up when the going gets rough."

Serena slumped onto the couch. "But mom, it's not just that it's difficult for me...it's not fun, and it doesn't feel...right for me," she said.

Grace frowned. "But Serena, I know you can be good at this, it's in your blood. When I was your age, I was-"

"I know, I know, mom, I get it, I've heard these kinds of stories like a million times," Serena said, annoyed and exhausted from a long morning of practicing her Rhyhorn racing.

Putting her hands on her hips, Grace firmly said, "Then what do you propose you want to do, then, Serena? You can't just sit around everyday. Other kids your age are out on adventures, traveling the world. Doesn't that appeal to you?" After a few moments of silence, with a softer voice, she then said, "Don't you remember that summer camp you attended in Kanto? The same year we moved away? All those kids are probably out battling with their Pokemon right about now. And if that's not your thing, then you need to do Rhyhorn racing, Serena."

Serena hesitated. She had seriously considered going on an adventure before, but felt like she wasn't built for that sort of thing. She thought of the boy who helped her with her injured knee back at the summer camp, and how helpless she had been without him. She still remembered his name...Ash. Ash Ketchum. In fact, she still held onto the little handkerchief he had given her that day for her knee. She thought about how Ash was somewhere out there in one of the vast regions of the world, discovering countless new Pokemon and, she guessed, battling and training with them.

Serena began to realize that at some point she was going to have to leave her comfort zone to find what she truly wanted to do. She could see that her mother had a point, but she also couldn't help but feel that there was something more out there for her, something that wasn't battling or Rhyhorn racing.

She went upstairs to her room, showered, dressed herself and lay in bed. She held Ash's handkerchief in her hand, and her thoughts returned to that day at the camp.

* * *

"Here are your Pokemon. They're all back to full health!" Nurse Joy said cheerfully as she returned Ash and Clemont's Pokemon to them.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" Ash replied. Pikachu hopped onto its signature spot on Ash's shoulder, brimming with energy.

"Hey Ash, check out this new gadget I recently designed," Clemont said, pulling out a small, rectangular box with several small buttons of various colors out of his bag. Ash was immediately fascinated and marveled at the sight of Clemont's contraption, and the two started discussing science and how it has affected the Pokemon world.

Bonnie was not so enthralled by Clemont's projects, so she decided to take a walk around the building, because that's what small children do. She walked past two Pidgey who appeared to be having a wing-flapping contest, though what exactly determined the winner Bonnie did not know for sure.

She came across a children's play area, and though she usually considered herself too old and mature for such activities, one small table caught her eye. It was labeled, "Writing and Drawing Area". She looked around to make sure there weren't any little kids around, since she didn't want to be seen with them. Then she picked up a pencil and began writing a letter to her mother.

 _Dear Mommy,_

 _It's been awhile since Iv wrote to you. How have you been? Well, just to let ya know, me and Clemont are doing really good. The Gym is still out of our control, but I know that my brother will be able to figyer it out, he is super smart! But you already know that, right? Oh, today we met an awsum trainer named Ash. He came to Kalos all the way from the Kanto region! He has a super cute Pikachu that I secretly hope he will trade to me one day, but I dowt it. They have a strong bond and are really good at battling together. One day I hope to be as smart as my brother and as strong as Ash._

 _Love,_

 _Your daughter Bonnie_

She found the Pokemon Center's mailbox and slipped her letter inside. She knew that no one would know where to mail it, since she left it unaddressed, but she liked doing it anyway. She continued walking around, and eventually came across a map of the Kalos region.

"Whoa," was her only word as she realized just how vast her homeland was. While Lumiose City was and always had been the largest establishment by a very large margin, Bonnie had not realized just how much more there was out there that she hadn't the faintest knowledge of. Her father sometimes told stories of when he traveled as a kid, but Bonnie suddenly felt the urge to explore for herself, to see the real world and experience life to the fullest.

She would've kept staring at the map on the wall had she not heard sobbing somewhere further down a hallway. She turned and approached one of the back rooms, where she found a small boy, who looked about ten years old, crying his eyes out on the floor in the corner.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Bonnie asked, a concerned frown on her face. She hated to see people cry, especially herself.

The boy shook his head and buried his face in his hands. "I don't want to talk about it...I'm a failure…" he mumbled, sniffling as he managed to slowly stop the flow of tears.

Bonnie gave him a sympathetic smile. "It's okay, you can tell me. My name's Bonnie, what's yours?"

The boy looked up and said, "I'm Anthony…"

Bonnie asked again, "What's wrong, Anthony?"

Anthony hesitated, then replied, "My Pokemon, my very first Pokemon, ran away from me." He immediately looked down, clearly ashamed.

This took Bonnie by surprise. She had heard before about cruel trainers abandoning their Pokemon, but rarely had she ever heard about or met anyone who had been abandoned by their own Pokemon. She felt sorry for the boy, as she knew what it was like to lose someone important to her.

"I'm so sorry, Anthony...do you want me to help you look for it?" Bonnie asked.

Before he could answer, Clemont's voice shouted, "Bonnie! Where are you?" This was followed by Ash's voice and Pikachu's cry.

Bonnie stood up. "Wait here," she said, running out of the room to get her older brother and new friend.

Anthony waited patiently, and soon enough Bonnie returned with Ash and Clemont. "Clemont, this boy lost his Pokemon, we have to help him!" she said, with that tone of voice that meant she wasn't going to take "no" for an answer.

But she didn't have to convince anyone. Ash was already asking Anthony questions about his Pokemon and how they could possibly try to find it.

"It's a Froakie," Anthony said, wiping a tear from his eye. "It's a small, blue frog with white, sticky bubble-like foam around its neck. It's one of the three starter Pokemon that Professor Sycamore gives you.

That caught Clemont's attention. "Of course, Professor Sycamore! We should go to his lab right away, I'm sure he'd be able to help us find Froakie."

Anthony paid for a taxi so that they could get to Sycamore's lab quicker. As soon as they arrived they rushed into the two front doors into a large room. There were two hallways on either side of the room, with a large staircase directly across from the doors. Next to the doors were two potted plants that looked somewhat like the tail of a Sceptile.

No one noticed a small figure dashing through the door just before it closed.

Ash immediately called out, "Professor Sycamore? Are you here?"

A woman in a white lab coat came down the stairs to greet them. "Hello, I am one of Professor Sycamore's assistants. Are you all new trainers?" she asked. "I'm afraid you're too late, all the Pokemon for today have already been chosen," she said.

Ash shook his head. "No, ma'am, none of us are here for a Pokemon. We need to speak to Professor Sycamore, this boy here Anthony lost his Froakie."

The woman did not look surprised, as if she had heard about this sort of thing before. "I see, that's unfortunate...I take it you received your Froakie yesterday, Anthony?" she asked.

Anthony nodded his head. "Then, this morning Froakie was gone," he said.

The professor's assistant sighed. "Yes, that is the troublesome Froakie...the one who has yet to deem a trainer worthy for it. I'm sorry, Anthony, I really am...we'll let you select another Pokemon tomorrow, if you'd like."

Ash frowned. "Hang on, so...we're not gonna even look for Froakie?" he asked.

The woman hesitated. "You see, this is not the first time this has happened...and lately the Professor and I have doubted that we will ever find a suitable trainer for this stubborn Froakie. It is definitely stronger than the others, and different in some way. But we can't keep having it leave its trainer...it will just keep ruining other children's first experiences with Pokemon, and stain the reputation of our lab. We may just let it roam free and do as it pleases. At least that way, it's not hurting the feelings of any novice trainers," she explained.

"Sophie? Who was at the door?" a man's voice called.

"Four children are here to see you, Professor," Sophie replied. "It's Froakie."

The Professor walked in, shaking his head. "Ah, I see. So it's done it again...no surprise there. We'll have another Pokemon ready for you tomorrow, my boy, if you're still interested."

Anthony looked down. "I-I guess so...except I really wanted to start today," he said, not in the way a spoiled child would say, but rather in a purely melancholy manner.

Ash asked again, "So...you're not even gonna look for Froakie?" he asked, slightly irritated.

The Professor looked around and spotted something behind one of the potted plants. "Well, my boy, it appears that Froakie has already returned to us," he said, smiling. "Come on out, Froakie, I can see you."

Everyone turned around to see a small, blue frog Pokemon slowly emerge from behind the plant. "Fro," it said. It seemed to be looking directly at Ash.

 _That's a cool Pokemon,_ Ash thought, feeling drawn to it for some reason.

"Froakie…" Anthony looked like he wanted to pick it up, but he already knew that Froakie did not want to be his Pokemon.

The Professor sighed. "Froakie, I'm very disappointed. You know you're not supposed to run away like that."

Froakie stubbornly turned away. "Fro, Froakie," it said.

At first Ash was angry that Froakie made Anthony feel so terribly, but he thought about Froakie's situation. It had no say in whether or not it was to be one of the starter Pokemon, no say in whether it was to be given away to a random stranger or not. He thought that, perhaps, people have forgotten to consider how the Pokemon feel about certain things.

"Well, Anthony, I'm afraid Froakie's made up its mind already," Sycamore said. "Come back tomorrow and we'll give you another Froakie."

Anthony sighed. "Okay…" he said, his shoulders slumped.

Ash remembered the day he rushed to Professor Oak's lab, only to find out that all the starter Pokemon had been taken for that day. He begged Professor Sycamore, "Please, Professor, isn't there any other Pokemon in this lab that you can give to Anthony?"

The Professor admired Ash's persistence and strong sense of compassion. He also noticed that Froakie had been constantly looking at Ash and Pikachu throughout the entire conversation. He said, "Well...I suppose we do have the Pokemon from Kanto...and although I typically do not give them out regularly, I can make an exception just this once."

Anthony's face lit up immediately. "Thank you, thank you, Professor!" he exclaimed.

Sycamore smiled and brought them to one of the rooms in the back, bringing out a case with three Pokeballs inside. "You can choose from Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. Grass, Water, and Fire," he said, tapping the buttons on each Pokeball to reveal the Pokemon.

"Whoa, cool," Anthony said. He turned to Ash and asked, "Which one would you pick?"

Ash shrugged. "I was able to catch and train all three of them, and I love them all. I think, though, that Bulbasaur might be a good fit for you," he said.

"Alright, then I choose Bulbasaur!" Anthony said. He picked up the Seed Pokemon gently and smiled.

"Bulba, bulbasaur!" the Pokemon said cheerfully, and everyone knew right way that these two were going to be a great duo.

Anthony immediately turned back to Ash and said, "Now, Ash, I want my first battle with Bulbasaur to be with you!" He had a look of newfound determination on his face.

Ash smiled. "I'm always up for a battle, Anthony, but just warning you, I'm not gonna take it easy on you!"

Anthony nodded, smiling. Everyone went outside and the two trainers and Pokemon took their positions on the battlefield.

"Pikachu, let's-"

"Fro!" interrupted Froakie, who leaped onto the battlefield in front of Ash, facing Anthony and Bulbasaur.

The Professor chuckled. "It appears to me that Froakie would like to battle for you, Ash," he said. Froakie nodded in agreement, and Ash smiled.

"Alright, then Froakie, let's do it!" Ash cheered, his heart beginning to race with excitement in anticipation of a battle using a new Pokemon.

Clemont stood on the sideline towards the midpoint of the battlefield, raising his arm up high. "This will be a one-on-one match. Battle begin!"

Ash shouted, "You can have the first move, Anthony!"

Anthony nodded. "Thanks, Ash. Bulbasaur, use Tackle!" he commanded, and Bulbasaur charged straight towards Froakie, its entire body knocking into Froakie.

"Okay, Froakie, use Bubble!" Ash called out, and Froakie released dozens of large bubbles from its mouth. Bulbasaur took the full brunt of the attack, though its typing allowed it to resist it without taking too much damage.

"Good job, Bulbasaur! Now use Vine Whip!" Anthony shouted.

"Froakie, dodge and use Pound!" Ash commanded, relying on his guess that Froakie was probably faster than Bulbasaur.

He wasn't disappointed. Froakie hopped out of the way long before Bulbasaur's vines could reach it and used its fist to slam a punch into Bulbasaur's side, knocking it sideways. Before either trainer could give another command, Froakie pulled out two lumps of frubbles from its neck and threw them directly at Bulbasaurs' two left legs, sticking them to the ground. Bulbasaur was trapped on its side.

"Whoa," Ash said, amazed at how versatile Froakie had already proven to be. "Okay, then, Froakie, use Pound one more time!" he shouted.

Froakie did as commanded, slamming its fist into a helpless Bulbasaur hard enough to send it flying backwards. Bulbasaur managed to get up for a brief second, but then fell over on its side, knocked out.

Clemont raised his right arm, announcing, "Bulbasaur is no longer able to battle, which means Froakie is the winner! The victory goes to Ash!"

Ash smiled. "Way to go, Froakie! You're strong, all right. That was a good battle."

Anthony recalled Bulbasaur back into its Pokeball. "You did your best, Bulbasaur, and I'm proud of you. We'll win our next battle for sure," he said. Then he congratulated Ash and Froakie, marveling at Ash's battling prowess.

"You did well, Anthony, for a new trainer," Ash said, and the trainers shook hands. Anthony smiled and thanked Ash for everything.

"Thanks to you, Ash, I get to start my adventure today. Someday, we'll meet again, and I'll be a lot stronger! Then, we can battle again," Anthony said. Ash nodded, and replied, "You bet, Anthony. I'm lookin' forward to it!"

Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all said goodbye to Anthony, who was now filled with enthusiasm for Pokemon and ready to embark on his new journey with Bulbasaur.

Professor Sycamore smiled. "Well, now that that's settled...it seems we have one more thing to discuss," he said, turning to the Bubble Frog Pokemon.

Ash understood what the professor meant. He looked at Froakie and smiled. "You and I had a great battle today, Froakie. I can see your strength, and I know that together you and I can have even better battles. Whaddaya say?" he asked.

Froakie didn't hesitate to answer, and Ash captured it in its Pokeball. Though they didn't know it yet, from that moment on they had started the making of an unbreakable bond capable of unimaginable power.


	3. Leaving The Reins Behind

Chapter Three

~ Leaving the Reins Behind ~

"Fletchling!" *peck*

"OW! Fletchling, why?!" Serena screamed angrily. She heard her mom calling from downstairs and decided to get up, but only because she smelled bacon cooking.

She walked into the kitchen to find her mother sitting on the couch, watching television. "Good morning, sleepyhead," Grace said. Serena replied, "Morning, mom," and proceeded to quietly munch on her breakfast. The day was as beautiful as any day in Kalos could get, but Serena's mood was just not quite up there.

Grace could easily tell when her daughter was upset, and she felt it necessary to talk about it a little. "So I'm guessing you did a lot of thinking last night?" she asked.

Serena shrugged, shifting her straight honey-blonde hair over her shoulders. "Yeah...I guess so," were her only words.

The former Rhyhorn-racing champion stood up and sat down at the table with her daughter. "You know, I can tell when you're not telling me everything," she said, smiling. "It's okay, honey, you can speak your mind. I'm not going to say anything bad about it. I'm just here to listen."

Serena hesitated, then suddenly said, "I was thinking about Ash."

Her mom frowned. "You mean that boy who you said helped you after you fell? At summer camp? What about him?" she asked.

Serena nodded. "That's him. I don't know...I just wish I could've spent more time with him. Gotten to know him more. Grow up through our childhood together, something romantic like that," she said.

"I see," her mother replied. "You do know that you two were just kids, right? I mean, you're still kids, but I mean you two were _really_ young back then. Is this all really still that significant to you?" she asked.

Serena didn't like where this was going. "Of course it is, mom...that was a special experience for me, and I've never felt anything towards anyone in that way. Ever. I know it's weird because I've never even met the guy since then, but...I don't know. Nevermind," she said in a dismissive tone. "You clearly just don't understand how much I wanted to stay in Kanto."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Oh dear, Serena, not this again. You know that I know that you wanted to stay. Serena, _I_ wanted to stay. But moving here was better for us, for-"

"For you, mom, yes it was," Serena said. "I know you wanted to move here because you thought it would be better for both of us, but it really isn't. I know that you wanted me to become a Rhyhorn racer, and that there was more competitive racing here in Kalos, and I know that you had always dreamt of living here. But, while I was too young to realize it, I was happy in Kanto. I had things to look forward to. Here, all I do is dread every racing practice and then think about all the things I'm not fit to do. At least Pallet Town had other kids around, and speaking of-"

"Serena, there are plenty of kids who live here in Vaniville Town. Or, should I say, there _were._ They're all out adventuring...why don't you realize that? You keep thinking that you're not going to be good at it, or that you're not going to enjoy it, or that people will judge, or whatever...but you haven't even given it a fair chance. You're sick of Vaniville? Then go somewhere else! I'm not stopping you, Serena. It's clear to me that you hate Rhyhorn racing, and while I think you could still keep at it and learn to like it, I'm not going to force it anymore. I'm done." Grace's voice was firm, but not angry. She was trying to encourage her daughter, not scold her.

Unfortunately, Serena took it the wrong way. "Fine. Then I'm leaving," she said, getting up and rushing upstairs to her room. She grabbed her bag and packed anything within the immediate vicinity that she figured would be useful. Clothes, hair brush, wallet, cooking tools, and, of course, Ash's handkerchief...somehow she managed to fit it all in there.

She was about to walk out the door without saying goodbye, but then thought better of it. She stopped, turned to face her mother, who looked sad but also proud, and said, "Goodbye, mom."

Grace embraced her daughter, knowing full well that Serena was making the right decision for herself. It may have been on a whim, and it may have been a little too sudden, but it was something both of them had been thinking about for a long time. "Come home whenever, honey. And call everyday, if you can," she said. "You sure you don't want to stay one more day, just to gather yourself better, or maybe rethink this whole adventure thing?" she asked. Not because she wanted Serena to stay home, but because she wanted her daughter to make sure she felt confident in herself.

Serena thought about it for a few seconds, but ultimately decided that the sooner the better. "Like you said, other kids are already long gone...if I'm going to be like them, I have to start now," she said. "So I can catch up."

Her mom shook her head. "Don't think like that, Serena. It's not all about what other kids are doing...but if you really think now is the best time to leave, then you should leave. I support whatever decision you make."

Serena let go of her mother and nodded. "It's about time I got out there, anyway," she said, opening the door to say goodbye to Rhyhorn.

* * *

Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie made it to Santalune City together for Ash to challenge Viola, Santalune's Gym Leader. Throughout their trip through Route 4, Ash caught a Fletchling, and Clemont caught a Dedenne, which seemed to like Bonnie's bag more than its Pokeball. The challenger and two siblings decided to rest in the Pokemon Center for a while before going to Viola's gym.

"Pikachu, Froakie, Fletchling...you ready?" Ash asked his three Pokemon. He already knew the answer; his Pokemon were brimming with energy, motivated at the thought of a tough battle ahead.

* * *

Walking through the trails leading to Lumiose City, where she was going to get her first Pokemon, Serena found herself appreciating the bright, blue sky and fresh, crisp air around her. She initially had thought that the outdoors weren't really for her, but was finding that she actually really enjoyed them. Except for the bugs, of course...they scared her, but pretty soon she wouldn't have to worry about them once she received her starter Pokemon.

After what seemed like forever, she finally made it to the edge of the city. As she entered, she was amazed at what Lumiose City had to offer aesthetically. The buildings seemed to reach endlessly into the air, with thousands and thousands of windows lining each one. Then, there were the small shops lining the perfect streets running through the city. People and Pokemon were everywhere; the air was clean despite the heavy urban character of the establishment.

She made her way to Professor Sycamore's lab and went inside.

The professor greeted her, knowing full well that she was another young, aspiring trainer who wanted a Pokemon. "Hello! I'm guessing you want a Pokemon," the professor said, getting to the point.

Serena nodded, smiling. On her way there, she had thought about each of the three starter Pokemon and finally decided which one she wanted before she got there. The professor brought out the three Pokemon: Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie. "They're all so cute!" Serena said. "But I've already decided which one I want," she said as she bent over to pick Fennekin in her arms.

Sycamore smiled. "Good choice. I'm sure you two will make a fine pair. Have you decided where to go next?" he asked.

Serena realized that, no, she hadn't. It dawned on her that all she had thought about was getting away from home and choosing a Pokemon...but there was no other real goal she had in mind. She shrugged. "I'm not quite sure yet, professor. Do you have any suggestions, maybe?" she asked hopefully.

The professor thought hard. "Hm, well if you're interested in the Gym Challenge, I would suggest training your Fennekin and perhaps catching other Pokemon before challenging any gyms. I've heard that the one here is, er, malfunctioning somehow, so the next closest one would be in Santalune City, which isn't too far from here at all. Other than that, I'm not really sure what to tell you; most kids just want to battle and get stronger," he said.

Serena nodded and thanked him. "I'll give it some thought," she said. "Have a nice day, professor!" she said cheerfully as she walked out the doors. The professor waved, saying, "Good luck!"

Suddenly the vastness of the city was less mesmerizing than it was intimidating. It presented too many options, too many possibilities that Serena simply could not choose from. _Should I stay here, in this city?_ she thought. _And if I do, then what? Challenge other people to battles? Or do I leave for another city? Which one?_

She decided that the practical thing to do for now was to go to the Pokemon Center to buy some supplies.

* * *

Ash stood opposite Viola, with nothing between them but a regulation-sized battlefield. Surrounding them were various trees and other plants, and the roof was made of glass, allowing the sun to shine brightly through, providing ample natural light for the entire gym. Ash took a deep breath. "This is it," he said. "My first Kalos Gym Battle." He was confident, but not cocky by any means; he understood and respected his opponent's strength, even though he expected to win.

Viola smiled and said, "I've gotta admit, Ash, I'm pretty excited for this battle. I've heard a lot about you from my sister," she said. Alexa, who stood on the sidelines with her Helioptile next to Clemont and Bonnie, nodded and laughed.

The judge stood between the two challengers on the opposite sideline and shouted, "This will be a two-on-two match. Only the challenger is allowed to substitute Pokemon. Battle begin!"

The atmosphere was tense. Viola wished that a picture could capture this sort of mood. She threw her first Pokeball into the air, and in a flash of white light, a Surskit appeared. Ash decided to start with Pikachu, since that gave him a helpful type advantage.

The battle began with neither Pokemon sustaining serious damage. Both Pokemon were quick, and delivered powerful attacks that one way or another didn't manage to land a direct hit on their target. The whole scene changed, though, literally, when Viola commanded Surskit to Ice Beam the battlefield, coating the entire floor in pure ice. This caught Ash off-guard, as he had little experience with icy terrains. Now, Surskit had the advantage, as it was able to easily maneuver at a much faster pace than Pikachu could. Before Ash had time to adjust his battle plan, Surskit knocked out Pikachu with relative ease.

Fletchling was then able to knock out Surskit, only to be completely overpowered by Viola's Vivillon. Ash lost the hard-fought battle, knowing that he had a lot of training to do before he came back for a rematch.

He didn't waste any time. He and Clemont together identified the aspects of the battle that Ash struggled with, two of which were the Sticky Web and Gust the help of Froakie's frubbles and Alexa's Noivern, Ash was able to simulate these battle circumstances and practice countering them. However, he was having more difficulty than he had expected. Motivation seemed to be failing him, which was uncharacteristic of the usually persistent and high-energy Ash.

The next day, Ash could hardly eat breakfast, and at that moment everyone knew that something was definitely wrong. Afterward, he sat under a tree instead of training. His low spirits were not a common occurrence, as Pikachu and Alexa were well aware of.

Ash wasn't doing nothing, though. He needed to think, not just work hard. He needed to collect himself and build up his mental confidence back. He thought of something he used to say a lot when he was younger: "Never give up 'til it's over!" He chuckled a little, reminiscing about his early childhood years. Things had been so easy back then. Now, just when it was starting to get tough, he was acting like a sore loser. And he couldn't have that any longer.

He stood up and released his Pokemon from their Pokeballs. "Alright, guys...today's the day," he said.

His Pokemon looked confused. Pikachu tilted its head and said, "Pika pi?"

Ash closed his eyes. "I'm sorry I haven't been pumping you guys up, like I should be," he said. "But now it's time I get back into the swing of things. I can't just mope around after one loss; I have to keep fighting, and I'll need you guys to help me out," he said. Though Ash's words were kind and brave, Pikachu could tell that his heart just wasn't in it, yet. Something was missing, but no one could quite figure it out.

* * *

Browsing the PokeMart inside the Pokemon Center, Serena found all sorts of items that looked useful. She bought some Pokeballs, but not too many, since she didn't plan on catching a lot of Pokemon. She figured she would need Potions and Repels for those pesky wild Pokemon. After about half an hour she was ready to leave. She was walking past the front desk when Nurse Joy asked her, "Excuse me, would your name happen to be Bonnie?"

Serena turned, confused. "No, it's not...why? Are you looking for a girl named Bonnie?" she asked.

Joy nodded. "Someone left a letter to be sent addressed to her mother, and it's signed 'Bonnie', but there was no envelope, sending address, or return address. I don't think I'll ever be able to find her," she said. "It's a shame...this letter is so sweet and moving; I just wish I could get it to its intended recipient…"

Serena frowned slightly. "Hmm...maybe Professor Sycamore would know? He knows almost every trainer around here, because most of them started their journeys by receiving a Pokemon from him, I would think," she suggested.

Nurse Joy smiled and said, "Thank you for trying to help, but I'm afraid I can't leave the Pokemon Center for quite some time." She looked down at the letter, which she had placed on the counter.

Serena picked it up. "I'll give it to him and see if he knows anything," she said, smiling.

"You would do that? Oh, thank you so much!" Nurse Joy said happily. "I wish I had something to give you as thanks…" she said, then suddenly looked up. "Oh! I do have something I'd like you to have," she said, running to the back room and coming back with a few, heart-shaped chocolates. "It's not much...but here you go."

Serena accepted them gratefully, saying, "Doing this is really no trouble at all for me, but thanks for the chocolate," she said with her usual radiant smile as she waved goodbye. Nurse Joy waved back as Serena exited through the large doors of the Pokemon Center.

Walking to the professor's lab, Serena suddenly felt overcome with curiosity. _I wonder why Joy wanted this letter to be delivered so badly?_ she wondered. She slowly unfolded the piece of paper and began reading.

 _Dear Mommy,_

 _It's been awhile since Iv wrote to you. How have you been? Well, just to let ya know, me and Clemont are doing really good. The Gym is still out of our control, but I know that my brother will be able to figyer it out, he is super smart! But you already know that, right? Oh, today we met an awsum trainer named Ash._

"Wait...Ash?" Serena said to herself.

 _He came to Kalos all the way from the Kanto region! He has a super cute Pikachu that I secretly hope he will trade to me one day, but I dowt it. They have a strong bond and are really good at battling together. One day I hope to be as smart as my brother and as strong as Ash._

 _Love,_

 _Your daughter Bonnie_


End file.
